BV 

34£7I 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. 

Chap. Copyright No. 

Shell.X.XS^Tb 



UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 



4XS- 



<C 'W 



Tse Ah=Mun ; 



OR, 



A Beautiful Life. 



i&. 



-■ ~: f-' 



BY 






MRS. J. L. STUART, 




Presbyterian Committee of Puhlic&tiGB, Richmond, Va, 



TSE AH-MUN 



A BEAUTIFUL LIFE. 



s 301855 



BY 



MRS. J. L. STUART. , „ -„ . 



Kicfymonb, Pa.: 

Presbyterian Committee of Publication. 
1895. 



K 







Copyright 

by 

JAMES K HAZEN, Secretary of Publication. 

1895. 



Printed by 

Whittet & Sheppkrson, 

Richmond, Va. 



BEAUTIFUL THINGS. 



' Beautiful faces are those that wear. 
It matters little if dark or fair, 
Whole-souled honesty printed there. 

' Beautiful eyes are those that show 
Like crystal panes where hearth-fires glow, 
Beautiful thoughts that burn below. 

'Beautiful lips are those whose words 
Leap from the heart like songs of birds, 
Yet whose utterance prudence girds. 

' Beautiful hands are those that do 
Work that is earnest, brave and true, 
Moment by moment the long day through. 

' Beautiful feet are those that go 
On kindly ministries to and fro — 
Down lowliest ways if God wills it so. 

' Beautiful shoulders are those that bear 
Ceaseless burdens of homely care 
With patient grace and daily prayer. 



Beautiful Things. 

' ' Seautiful lives are those that bless— 
Silent rivers of happiness, 
Whose hidden fountains hut few may guess. 

"Beautiful twilight, a set of sun, 
Beautiful goal, with race well won, 
Beautiful rest, with work well done. 

"Beautiful graves where grasses creep, 
"Where brown leaves fall, where drifts lie deep 
Over worn-out hands — oh ! beautiful sleep ! " 
Ellen P. Allerton. 



TSE AH-MUN 



ABOUT twenty-five years ago a little girl 
in a Chinese city, called Siau San, over- 
heard her mother talking with a stranger at 
the door. She stopped to listen. He was 
saying that in the neighboring city of Hang- 
chow there was a school for girls just opened, 
and he would like to have her little girl go to 
it. Ah-mun, for that was the little girl's 
name, at once began to beg her mother to let 
her go to this school, without knowing hardly 
what it meant. She has frequently said 
since that this must have been the beginning 
of the Holy Spirit's work in her heart, in- 
clining her to go, as she could not think of 
any other reason. This was the first leading 
of divine providence in her history. Day by 
day she kept on begging her mother to let 
her go, but as she was the only one of the 
children now left at home, she was loath to 
give her up. What was the use of a girl's 



6 Tse Ah-mun. 

going to school anyhow ? Then, too, she 
really was afraid to commit her little girl to 
these unknown foreigners, about whom there 
were so many dreadful stories told. They 
only wanted to injure her child, perhaps to 
take out her heart, and gouge out her eyes, 
to make medicine with, as was the common 
report. No ; she would never give her con- 
sent. But Ah-mun kept on teasing to go. 
Finally, her mother came to her one day, 
after being absent from home several hours, 
and said : ' ' Well, Ah-mun, I am going to let 
you go to that school. I have been to the 
temple to consult the idol, and this is the 
answer I received." 

This couplet is one of those ambiguous re- 
sponses which may mean anything ; but in 
this case the interpretation . was another link 
in the chain of that providence which was 
bringing this dear child under the influence 
of the gospel. 

The heathen mother brought her little 
girl, nine years old, all the way across the 
river to our school in Hangchow, then in its 
infancy, and left her there to be taught, she 
hardly knew what. Ah-mun was the third lit- 



Tse Ah-mun. 7 

tie girl to enter our boarding-school, founded 
by Mr. Inslee in 1868, in which more than 
one hundred and fifty girls have since en- 
rolled their names. From the first she 
showed a deep interest in everything about 
her, and became an intelligent, painstaking 
and obedient pupil. Her mind developed 
rapidly, and her heart began to take hold 
upon the things of eternal life. The mother, 
after disposing of her last child, broke up 
housekeeping, and went into a kind of nun- 
nery on the top of a high hill, where she 
spent her time saying prayers to Buddha and 
trying to accumulate merit. She was a de- 
vout worshipper of idols, and had vowed 
never to eat meat again, hoping thus to gain 
a great store of merit. Ah-mun never re- 
turned to her old home but once, and then 
only for a short time ; but her heart was 
constantly going out to this heathen mother, 
whom she could not forget. From the time 
she felt an interest in her own soul's salva- 
tion she began to pray for her mother ; nor 
did she rest until, years afterwards, she had 
persuaded her, then an old woman of seventy, 
to come and live with her, so as to be in- 



8 Tse Ah -77U171. 

structed in the Christian religion. Just 
eighteen years from the time when she began 
to pray for her in this way the aged mother 
broke her vegetarian vow, and about a year 
later was received into our native church on 
giving good evidence that she had accepted 
Christ as her Saviour. 

It was a happy day for Ah-muri when she 
saw her old mother stand up to make public 
confession of her faith and receive Christian 
baptism. Tears of joy flowed down her face 
as she said : ' ' Now I know that God hears and 
answers prayer, since he has given me my 
mother in answer to prayer. ' ' The old woman 
could only say, " It is God's grace that has 
saved such a sinner as I am." Every Sun- 
day she spent the day with her daughter, 
who strove most earnestly to instruct her 
and strengthen her in her Christian life. 
She is still living in a little cottage near us, 
and refuses the tempting offers of her heathen 
son to go and live with him at the expense 
of giving up her religion. Ah-mun's part- 
ing exhortation to her was, to hold on stead- 
fast to the end, and come to meet her in 
heaven. This is the one thing now before 



Tse Ah-mun. 9 

her in life ; and we believe God will save 
her, to be once more united to her sainted 
daughter. 

When Ah-mun was thirteen years old she 
was received into our church on public con- 
fession of her faith, and for twenty years 
lived a consistent Christian life, unblamable 
in her outward conduct, and setting an exam- 
ple worthy of being imitated. Ah-tse, who 
has been the faithful native principal in our 
girls' school from its very beginning, watched 
this little girl from her entrance, with a view 
to selecting her as the future wife of her only 
son, who was then pursuing his studies in 
our boys' school. This was brought to a 
conclusion by hearing that Ah-mun 's mother 
was making arrangements to betroth her to 
a heathen, who was offering a good sum of 
money for her. Ah-tse paid down the 
amount required, and at the age of fourteen 
Ah-mun became her prospective daughter- 
in-law. At first this relation was simply 
one of childlike submission on the part of 
the younger, never once questioning the au- 
thority which Chinese custom gives to the 
mother-in-law ; but as years went on in- 



to Tse Ah-mun. 

creasing confidence between the two devel- 
oped into the most tender attachment. As 
Ah-mun 's character ripened with maturer 
years, the elder began to lean upon her for 
advice, and to trust to her judgment to such 
an extent that she felt as if her ' ' strong 
staff ' ' was broken when Ah-mun was taken 
suddenly from her side. Rarely even in our 
own Christian land have I seen between 
mother and daughter a more real devotion 
than existed between these two women, so 
different in every respect. This instance is 
most exceptional in a land where many a 
daughter-in-law takes her own life to escape 
the exactions of a tyrannical mother-in-law, 
herself being frequently the most to blame. 
Chin-tsang, this son of Ah- tse, developed 
into a very promising young man, and was 
licensed to preach after passing a most satis- 
factory examination. Shortly after this he 
was married, and no two young people 
started out in life with brighter prospects for 
happiness. Ah-mun was as faithful in her 
new relation of wife as she had been as a 
pupil in the school ; and when a little son 
came to gladden her home, she entered upon 



Tse Ah-mun. ir 

her duties as mother with the same sense of 
responsibility. But a cloud was gathering 
over that happy household. The husband 
and father began to show indications of that 
fell disease which carries on its hundreds of 
victims in this land as well as others. Con- 
sumption began to prey upon his frame, and 
in less than three years from his marriage, 
his emaciated body was laid in the grave at 
the early age of twenty- three. Thus was 
Ah-mun' s married happiness cut short in its 
very beginning, and she was left a helpless 
widow at twenty- two. A few months later 
her second little boy came, and it now de- 
volved on her to bring up these fatherless 
children. In this work she showed the same 
earnest faithfulness which had characterized 
her in her previous relations, Rousing her- 
self from her great sorrow, she set to work 
to train them for God, not only attending to 
their physical wants, but striving her best to 
develop their minds and hearts. She had a 
sweet little cottage of her own on our Mis- 
sion grounds, which she always kept neat 
and clean. It was adorned with many little 
gifts of foreign friends, a clock, pictures, 



12 Tse Ah-mwi. 

vases for flowers, etc., which, added to very 
nice Chinese furniture, made her home very 
attractive to all. Here she kept her littk 
boys carefully by her side, instructing and 
training them in a manner very different 
from most Chinese mothers. Frequently 
have I found her seated at the table with an 
open Bible, reading to them from its sacred 
pages, or as they themselves began to read, 
explaining the meaning to them. 

Mrs. Price tells of a touching scene she 
witnessed when she had occasion to go to her 
home early one morning. There knelt Ah- 
mun at her bedside, with a little boy on each 
side of her, and an arm around each one, as 
she was earnestly commending them to God 
for the day. This was her usual practice. 
The oldest son is named Sih-su, which means 
"bestowed grace." He is more commonly 
called Le-cong, in imitation of the name 
Le Conte, as Mrs. L. had taken a great in- 
terest in him through Mrs. Randolph's influ- 
ence. He is now thirteen years old, and is 
in the Mission boarding-school of the North- 
ern Presbyterian Church in Hangchow. He 
is a nice little boy, and doing well in his stu- 



Tse Ah-mun. ij 

dies, though not free from faults common to 
boys of his age. His mother long since 
dedicated him to the Christian ministry, 
hoping that he might go on with the work 
from which his father was so early called 
away. About three months ago this dear 
boy was received into the communion of the 
church, and we thought how his sainted 
mother would -have rejoiced to see the son of 
many prayers, her first-born, himself con- 
firming the vows she had taken for him in 
infancy. Little En-dzu, the second son, 
whose name signifies "gracious help," is 
now about eleven years old, and still with 
his grandmother, Ah-tse. He inherits his 
father's delicate constitution, and has to be 
tenderly cared for, so we are keeping him in 
our girls' school for the present until he is 
strong enough to enter the same school with 
his brother. He is particularly bright, and 
gives promise of great usefulness if his health 
is spared. His mother's desire for him was 
that he might be a Christian physician. 
Knowing so well her desires for these chil- 
dren, we feel that it devolves on us as a 
sacred trust to do all we can to help train 



1$ Tse Ah-mun. 

them for the Lord's work. We commend 
them to the loving prayers of the friends in 
our church at home who read these lines and 
feel interested in the story of the young 
mother thus early called away from her life- 
work. 

It is perhaps as a teacher that Ah-mun 's 
character and ability shine out most con- 
spicuously. When Mrs. Randolph was be- 
ginning to feel the need of some one to help 
her in the school-room, she, knowing that 
Ah-mun was desirous of doing something 
for the support of her orphan children, con- 
cluded to try her in this capacity, and thus 
began her career as a teacher. She was 
anxious to do her best, and spared herself no 
pains in preparing for her classes. Thus she 
was soon able to teach all that she knew 
herself; but being ambitious to do more effi- 
cient work, she thankfully received any in- 
struction that would fit her for greater use- 
fulness. Mrs. Randolph offered to teach her 
Emglish, and she entered upon the study of 
this language with great interest. She 
really attained great proficiency in it, being 
able to read and write very well, though she 



Tse Ah-mun. 15 

did not speak much from want of practice. 
At the time of her death she was in corre- 
spondence with from ten to twelve branches 
of the Young Women's Christian Association 
in the United States, and her letters were writ- 
ten in a beautiful hand, in fairly good Eng- 
lish, so that the} 7 rarely needed to be cor- 
rected. I select from many of these one 
which may serve as a sample. It is dated in 
July, 1892, just at the beginning of the sum- 
mer vacation : 

My Dear Sister in Christ: Thank you for your 
letter. We very glad to hear from you again. 
Miss Wilson has helped me to put it into Chinese. 
The Association will not meet until next month. 
I will read it to the members then. We are very 
glad to have some letter to read when we are all 
together. You say our letter makes you move to 
be interested to work for women in our land. If 
so, we will be glad, and thankful to God because 
he used us to glorify his name. We understand 
this, because your words helped and strengthened 
our hearts very much ; so that is a benefit to you 
and to us. We were delighted to hear and see on 
the map where so many Associations were organ- 
ized in your country. We much hope in our 
country for the same. We were very glad to hear 
you tell about your International Convention, and 
we very like to meet with you and see so many 



1 6 Tse Ah- 7?tiin. 

Christians. This Monday our school closed. 
Thirty girls have gone home. Nine of our mem- 
bers have gone. We hope at this time all the girls 
who go to their homes will bear witness for Christ 
Jesus and rely on his name. Did I tell you of an 
old woman who was wanting to be a Christian ? A 
committee in our Association was teaching her and 
praying for her. Now we praise God, for she was 
received into the church on Sunday before last. 
Your sister, Tse Ah-mun. 

The following letter was written to Mrs. 
Sykes after hearing of the death of her hus- 
band by a railroad accident on the eve of 
their coming to China : 

Hangchow, October 12, 1891. 
My Dear Friend : I very glad to write a few 
words to you if I could make you happy and com- 
fort you. I have heard you were so sorrowful in 
your heart because your husband was so quickly 
taken from you. I know you will have thought 
that it is the will of God, and ' ' we know that all 
things work together for good to them that love 
God." I think God has called him as he called 
Elijah to heaven: "There appeared a chariot oi 
fire and horses of fire, and parted them both asucu 
der." "For his anger endureth but a moment. 
In his favor is life ; weeping may endure for a 
night, but joy cometh in the morning." How 
greatly troubled you are I well know, because I 
have passed through it myself. Now, for ten years 



Tse Ah-mun. iy 

God has blessed me since that time. (Referring to 
her husband's death.) I know you can be com- 
forted by God only. You remember. he said, "I, 
even I, am he that comforteth you. " I pray to God 
to comfort you. We all in church remember you 
in our prayers. We know God's will was not for 
him to come to this country for a short time on 
earth, but to go to a " continuing city" in heaven. 
I hope you think God do this to you is just, be- 
cause myself think before God do that to me was 
unjust. I very desire the Lord of peace to give 
you peace always by all means. 

The following letter, addressed to the 
' ' Band of Four ' ' in the Miller Manual School 
in Virginia, and written only a few days be- 
fore she was taken sick, possesses a melan- 
choly interest as being her very last effort in 
English. The letter itself was completed 
and sent, but before she had finished copying 
it in her little book, in which she kept all 
her English letters, her hand had lost its 
cunning and was stilled in death : 

Hangchow, September, 1892. 
Dear Sisters of the "Band of Four": We 
very glad to receive your letter about a month 
ago. We thank God because your Association is 
prospering. I thank the girl who read our letter to 
all. We will be very glad to see the picture of the 



1 8 Tse Ah-mun. 

"Band of Four." We think your Christmas day 
was very nice and your calisthenics very pretty. 
We praise God because he sent peace to our place 
and yours, but we must think of those who have 
not this blessing. Our school was closed six weeks ; 
now have commenced two weeks. God blessed 
us, and no one was ill or troubled at home. This 
summer was very hot here ; long time have not 
rain. The girls of our Association, some stayed 
here, but more went home. Before they went 
home we met together, and exhorted one another 
to trust God after leaving for home with the text, 
Matt. v. 13, 14. We also gave each one two texts 
to remember at home, the first of which was from 
Josh. i. 9 ; the second, John iv. 4. Praise God be- 
cause every one has told us what they have done 
for Jesus at their home. We think they never did 
so well before. We feel that God has blessed and 
prospered our Association in giving us six new 
girls, so that there are now twenty-six names on 
our list. Our dear Miss Wilson, who is now Mrs 
Price, has gone to Sin-dzang to work fo^ Jesus 
We very sorry to lose her, but we also must be 
glad, because she has done his work for us ; now 
she must enlighten the people who are in darkness. 
Miss Davidson is very nice, and we hope she can 
help us very well. When she talk Chinese we can 
understand nearly all she says, and she is now 
teaching us every day. When our Association — 

The following extracts are selected from 
various letters written to different parties 



Tse Ak-mun. 19 

from time to time, which give glimpses of 

her loving heart : 

Hangchow, May 25, 1889. 
My Dear Mrs. Le Conte : Are you well ? I am 
very happy new, because I can try to write an 
English letter to you. Many days I did not write 
a letter to you, but always remembered you in my 
heart and in my prayers ; also Le-Cong does not 
forget you. I thank you very much for the things 
you sent me. Le-Cong got those picture papers 
which you gave him. He was very happy. He 
said he hopes trouble cannot come to your place, 
and thanks you. You have known Mrs. Randolph 
has taught me English. When she went to japan 
I was troubled, for no one could teach me English. 
But now I am very happy, because Miss Wilson is 
very kind to teach me. You have heard of my 
mother, for Mrs. Stuart had wrote about her in the 
Missionary, I am glad to tell you again. She now 
is here, and learns Catechism and Bible ; also, she 
has learned prayer words on paper, and she uses 
these prayer words to pray to God. Now she un- 
derstands more than before time. She says: 
"Formerly I bowed down and worshipped idols; 
now I know this is rebellion against God." Also 
she says : ' ' When I read Jesus was crucified for me 
on the cross I want to flow my tears." On the 
Sunday before last she was baptized. I tell you 
this ; can let you for her be happy also, and in 
prayer remember her. I cannot write many words 
to you, because it is very hard to write English. I 



20 Tse Ah-mun. 

teach Le-Cong every day to write English a little. 
I send you some of his writing to let you see it. 
May God bless you. 

Your friend, Tse Ah-mun. 

To another friend, in writing of her old 
mother, she says : 

"You have heard of my aged mother — she is 
now seventy-three years old — how she has left the 
temple on the mountain, where she worshipped 
idols, and how, with me, has been learning about 
Jesus. Now she has been baptized, and received 
the Lord's Supper on the Sunday before last. I 
know you wish me much joy, for the piece of silver 
was lost but now has been found. In this way we 
see, if we earnestly use our hearts to ask, God will 
hear us. Though my mother is so old, God has 
blessed her. Her body is strong, and her heart is 
at rest. She says : ' Jesus died for me. I know 
not what I can give him, but I just believe on him 
and rely on him.' Now I am thankful to God for 
all friends who have prayed for my mother." 

Hangchow, Septc7nber 20, 1890. 
My Dear Leighton and David : I am so glad I 
can write a letter to you now. How many times I 
have thought to write, but did not. I cannot now 
write many words to you, because I have not much 
strength yet since I was sick. I want to write 
some words to comfort you about your little bro- 
ther, Robbie. But I hope you not from me, but 



Tse Ah-mun. 21 

from God, receive comfort. He says, "I, even I, 
am he that comforteth yon." What words I can 
say to yon I know not myself ; bnt I know yon will 
be very glad to remember God's words in yonr 
heart. So I choose these words in the Bible; 
please you read them : John xi. 26 ; 1 Thess. iv. 14. 
I always pray for you. Now I pray more than 
ever that God will comfort your hearts, and we all 
pray him to comfort your father and mother and 
Warren. We all loved little Robbie so much, and 
miss him every- day. The school girls and the 
Chinese all loved him, and since God has taken 
him away many hearts are very full of sorrow. 
But we know he is happy with Jesus. 

I am very glad to tell you Le-Cong now wants to 
be a child of Jesus, and wants to join the church. 
My heart is very glad for this, and I know you are 
glad, for you both pray for him. 

Hangchow, March 12, 1891. 
Our Dear Sisters in America : We were very 
glad to get your letter, and I am glad soon to 
answer you. We all very thank you. Our Y. W. 
C. A. met the night after your letter came, so I 
read it to the members. Miss Wilson helped me 
put it into Chinese. Your kind words helped and 
strengthened our hearts very much, and make us 
feel we know you well. We are glad to be asso- 
ciated with you, and to be loved by you, for we 
know we are weak, but we are trying to work for 
our Lord Jesus. So we want to ask you all to 



22 Tse Ah-mun. 

pray for us, that we may have strength from God's 
Holy Spirit to work for the glory of his name. 
We now have nineteen members in our Associa- 
tion. One is a new member. She was baptized on 
Sunday of this week. There are eight girls who 
are "associate" members, and come to our prayer- 
meetings. Some of them want to join the church. 
So we feel our Association is prospering a little, 
but we hope it will prosper more than before if God 
blesses us. 

Hangchow, March, 1892. 
Dear Dr. Houston : I hope God's grace and 
peace are always with yon and your children. I 
have heard of the sorrow upon you now, and hope 
I can write a few words to comfort you, but I know 
you have been much comforted of God and our 
Lord Jesus Christ. I remember a verse in the 
Bible which says, "I, even I, am he that comfort- 
eth )'ou"; and also, "I shall deliver thee in six 
troubles, yea, in seven shall no evil touch thee." 
When I was in trouble (this refers to her husband's 
death) yon, with many words, comforted me, and 
T also do not forget you, but pray God to let this 
comfort return unto yourself. 

My own intimate acquaintance with Ah- 
mun began about four years before her death, 
on my return from a visit to America, when 
I took charge of the girls' school, Mrs. Ran- 
dolph having been compelled to leave China 
on account of failure in health. For more 



Tse Ah-mun. 23 

than a year she and Ah-tse had been faith- 
fully trying to keep the school going in the 
absence of an}' missionary in charge, and too 
much praise cannot be awarded them foi? the 
manner in which they had tried to carry out 
Mrs. Randolph's instructions. When Miss 
Wilson, who came out with me, decided to 
enter upon the work in this school, Ah-mun 
was delighted to have a yotmg woman asso- 
ciated with her as a teacher, and entered 
heartily into every plan for reform and im- 
provement in the working of the school. 
Her own ambition was excited to fit herself 
for more advanced work, and she readily em- 
braced Miss Wilson's offer of help, patiently 
working herself along until she was far 
ahead of any Chinese woman that I know of 
in the ordinary branches of school work, 
such as geography, arithmetic, etc. She 
wrote a very nice hand, and her copies on 
the blackboard were models of correctness 
and beauty. She quite astonished the male 
teachers at Mr. Judson's school on one occa- 
sion while helping Miss Wilson to examine 
a class of boys, one of whom was her own 
son, in fractions and denominate numbers. 



24. Tse Ah-mun. 

It was a new thing for a Chinese woman to 
show such accurate knowledge and express 
herself so readily on subjects of this kind. 
But none of her acquirements seemed to 
make her the least vain ; she only wanted to 
be able to do more good to those about her. 
From the first there existed between her and 
Miss Wilson a very strong friendship, which 
developed into the most tender attachment. 
One of the greatest sorrows of Ah-mun 's life 
was Miss Wilson's marriage and consequent 
removal to a new field of labor. She often 
used to say that God was so good to give her 
a foreign lady friend so nearly her own age. 
It was a singular providence which deprived 
the school of these two young teachers the 
same month, one to enter upon a new field 
of work, the other, having finished her life 
work, to enter her eternal home. 

Ah-mun was well acquainted with the 
word of God. She loved to study its sacred 
pages, using every help within her reach to 
get the correct meaning. In our little teach- 
ers' meetings, which we held at the school 
for the purpose of preparing for the Sunday's 
lesson, she was always one of the most in- 



Tse Ah-mim. 25 

terested attendants, her questions and re- 
marks showing how deeply she thought on 
sacred subjects, always seeking a spiritual 
meaning or a practical lesson from the text. 
As she grew in knowledge she gained in 
power and influence over the pupils. Their 
love and respect for her increased year by 
year, until, at the time of her death, her in- 
fluence was felt by every member of the 
school. It was here that we recognized in 
her our greatest help, and most deeply feel 
our loss now that she is taken from us. She 
felt her responsibility, not only for the men- 
tal development of the girls, but for their 
spiritual growth, and her heart went out in 
earnest longing for the soul of each one of 
the girls under her charge. After they had 
been received into the church she watched 
over them with the same loving care, de- 
siring to see the image of Christ formed in 
them, and showing itself in their outward 
life. How often have I seen her pleading 
with them to lead a better life, and not give 
way to their ugly passions ! Once we found 
her kneeling in prayer with a girl who had 
been shut up in a side-room for misconduct, 



26 Tse Ah-mun. 

and we had reason to believe that this was 
her frequent practice. 

When we decided to establish a branch of 
the Y. W. C. A. in our school, as a means of 
developing the Christian activity of the girls 
and training them to methods of work, Ah- 
mun entered most heartify into the move- 
ment, and exerted all her powers to make it 
interesting and improving to all. No one 
received greater benefit than she did herself, 
for the very effort to help those younger than 
herself seemed to develop her very best spir- 
itual powers. As a member of the commit- 
tee on devotional exercises, we were often 
surprised at her deep insight into ' ' the 
things that are not seen," as exhibited in 
her choice of subjects and selection of texts 
for the various meetings ; while her remarks 
on these occasions showed how truly her 
soul was in touch with the "mysterious 
things of God." With joy we watched her 
thus ' ' growing in grace, and in the know- 
ledge of her Lord and Saviour, ' ' little dream- 
ing that she was ripening fast for his king- 
dom above. 

In personal appearance she was most at- 



Tse Ah-mun. 27 

tractive. Her beautiful hair, coiled on the 
back of her head after the Hangchow fash- 
ion, was always faultlessly smooth and neat. 
She dressed in exquisite taste, her clothing 
always being of good quality rather than 
gaudy. You would hardly call her hand- 
some, and yet, when a joyous smile lit up her 
countenance, displaying a beautiful set of 
teeth, you thought her face peculiarly win- 
ning and attractive. But it was the intelli- 
gent, loving soul beaming through her coun- 
tenance that constituted the great charm 
about her, and drew under her influence all 
who came in contact with her, inspiring both 
love and respect. To us who were asso- 
ciated with her in the girls' school she was a 
dear friend and valued co-worker. It was 
indeed a mysterious providence which took 
her from us just as she had become fitted for 
eminent usefulness, and was entering upon 
a much finer career. We did not realize 
how much we leaned upon her and trusted 
to her judgment and influence with the girls 
until she was taken away and her place was 
left vacant. 

One other quality I must touch upon, for 



28 Tse Ah-mun. 

a sketch of Ah-mun would be incomplete 
without mentioning her musical ability, 
which was most unusual for a Chinese 
woman. When she was about fourteen years 
of age Mrs. Randolph asked me to teach her 
to play on the organ. She was a very apt 
and faithful pupil, and in a short time she 
was able to play hymn tunes very well. 
Her voice, too, developed rapidly, and from 
that time on playing and singing constituted 
her greatest delight. For years before her 
death she had taken entire charge of the 
music in our native church, and was always 
at her post, never seeming to weary. She 
was thus most helpful in leading the girls in 
all their songs of praise ; and it is here that 
her loss is felt, if possible, more keenly than 
anywhere else. After she learned English 
she was very fond of singing our gospel 
hymns in that language, and many a time in 
the evening have we heard her rich voice 
swelling out in the words and tunes of our 
native land. To me there was something 
peculiarly grateful and touching in Ah-mun' s 
love of music. "Praise" was indeed her 
1 ' loved employ ' ' while on earth, and I know 



Tse Ah-mun. 2g 

there is no gladder voice than hers now 
helping to swell the chorus of the redeemed 
in heaven. She had a good constitution, 
and generally enjoyed excellent health. We 
noticed her drooping somewhat before the 
summer vacation, but after a few weeks' 
rest she seemed quite restored, and entered 
upon her duties in the fall with her usual in- 
terest and vigor. Suddenly she was stricken 
down with malarial fever, which did its 
work so quickly that at the end of ten days 
she was gone from our midst. I had been 
absent for about two weeks at mission meet- 
ing, and on my return found her very ill, 
but did not apprehend any serious result. 
We hoped that good medical attendance and 
careful nursing would save her life, though 
the disease might last a long time, and our 
principal concern was to arrange for her ab- 
sence in the school-room. I found her very 
restless and apparently suffering when I 
stopped in to see her about 4 o'clock Sunday 
afternoon after Sunday-school, but did not 
see any special cause for alarm. A few 
hours later, however, we were summoned in 
haste, and found her, to all appearance, life- 



jo Tse Ah-mun. 

less. Ah-tse and her little boys were moan- 
ing pitifully over her, and we thought that 
she had gone from us without a word of 
farewell; but she had still a work to do. 
She was spared just one more day to give 
testimony to God's sustaining grace in the 
hour of death. B3 T using various means she 
was revived, and lived through the night, 
being watched most carefully by a well- 
trained native assistant from the English 
hospital and other friends. We did so hope 
that her life was given back to us ; but after 
hours of restless tossing, paying attention to 
no one, early in the morning she quietly 
turned over and called to her side family and 
friends, saying : "Jesus is calling me to go 
to him to-day ; while I have strength I want 
to speak to you." She then talked most 
beautifully to each one of us, saying the 
thing that seemed most suitable. With the 
utmost composure she gave her parting mes- 
sages just like one going on a long journey. 
She took a tender farewell of her two little 
boys, putting them in the care of their 
grandmother, and asking us all to be kind 
and helpful to them. Then commending 



Tse Ah-mun. ji 

them to God, she seemed to have no more 
concern for them. She exhorted her old 
mother to hold out firm to the end, and come 
to meet her in heaven. Man}^ sweet words 
of comfort did she utter to the heart-broken 
mother-in-law. As I took her hand on en- 
tering the room early in the morning, she 
said : ' ' Mrs. Stuart, to-day I am going to see 
all the good people who have gone before, 
Chin-tsang (her husband), your little Rob- 
bie, and many others. I am so happy. 
Tell Mrs. Price I really meant to go to see 
her at New Year, but Jesus is calling me 
to go to him. ' ' She asked Miss Davidson to 
take special care of her little boys, and ex- 
pressed many wishes about the school-girls. 
As each one of these came to say good-bye, 
she said just the word that was needed. I 
remember hearing her plead with one of the 
older girls, who had been careless and in- 
different on the subject of her soul's salva- 
tion, to give her heart to Jesus, and serve 
him alone. A few months after her death 
we were rejoiced to see this hard heart give 
way, and we felt that Ah-mun 's dying words 
had not been lost upon her. 



j 2 Tse Ah-niun. 

I cannot begin to recall all the beautiful 
testimony that she gave to God's presence 
with her during her last hours. As long as 
she could speak she kept assuring us that 
her heart was full of peace and joy. Never 
once did she express the least fear or doubt. 
She could not bear to see any one weeping 
about her, and kept begging us not to shed 
a tear for her. Once she said : ' ' We are all 
on the river side ; I am going to cross over, 
and you are all here to escort me." Then 
expressing a desire for a hymn, we sang 
"There'll be no sorrow there," "There is 
a happy land," and some others, to her evi- 
dent enjoyment. Gradually her strength 
gave way, and she could only express her- 
self by signs ; but every whispered word was 
one of perfect trust. The question, ' ' Is Jesus 
precious ? ' ' was always followed by a pressure 
of the hand or a nod of the head in the affirma- 
tive. Just as we were expecting to see her 
draw the last breath, the fever began to rise, 
and with it her strength returned. She began 
to speak in a clear, distinct voice, and now her 
theme was all of God's wrath and judgment. 
Recalling to mind one of the heathen teach- 



Tse Ah-mun. 33 

ers in the school, she said, ' ' I must have 
one more word with him." When he came 
to her bedside she begged him not to delay 
any longer to believe in Jesus. As he went 
away from her she began to weep bitterly, 
saying, "Why will not every one believe in 
Jesus ? ' ' These were the only tears she shed 
during all these sorrowful hours of parting. 
She began to talk of Sodom and Gomorrah, 
and urged all about her not to be like Lot's 
wife, but to flee from the wrath to come. As 
the fever rose higher and her energy in- 
creased, she would almost shriek out, ' ' The 
day of God's wrath is come : who can stand 
it ? ' ' In her feverish restlessness she would 
tear asunder her clothes, saying, "I am 
done with this mortal body ; my soul longs 
to be free." Then in agony she would 
scream out, ( ' Flee ! flee ! flee from the wrath 
of God ! The day of God's wrath is come — 
is come — it is unendurable ! ' ' Seeing our 
puzzled expression, as if we thought she was 
out of her mind, she called us by name, 
assuring us that she was not speaking idle 
words, but knew perfectly well what she 
was saying, adding : ' ' Ah-mun is dead ; it 



34 



Tse Ah-mun 



is not she talking. God is onl}' using her 
poor, weak lips to glorify him." Towards 
the last, when asked something about her 
family matters, she replied : ' ' I have nothing 
to do with them now. My work is done. 
You who are left in the world must not cease 
to warn every one to flee from the wrath to 
come." This was her last refrain, repeated 
over and over during the few hours of that 
dreadful fever, when the poisoned blood was 
rushing through her brain. As I heard her 
frenzied tones calling out to us from the very 
entrance to the spirit world, it seemed to me 
that she had a revelation of God's judgment 
which we had not, a glimpse of that ' ' day of 
wrath, ' ' which filled her soul with terror for 
those who were not ready to meet it. In 
the midst of this excitement of the physical 
frame, whenever we asked her, "Ah-mun, 
are you afraid? ' ' she would reply, ' ' Oh, no ! 
I have nothing to fear, for Jesus is with 
me." 

These warning words of Ah-mun come 
back to me as an inspiration ; and when I 
am tempted to sloth or indifference, they 
rouse me into fresh vigor and faithfulness. 



Tse Ah-mun. 35 

I think all who were present feel the same 
way. Thus her influence is felt, though she 
has passed away from our sight. This is the 
message that comes back to us from her 
grave, and I long for the ' ' tongue of fire ' ' 
to convey its full meaning to all who may 
read this story of her life. 

The following description of the funeral, 
which was written for the Missionary a few 
weeks after her death, will give some idea of 
the sincere and widespread sorrow occasioned 
by her loss : 

' ' It was a sad, reverent assembly that 
gathered in our chapel September 28th to pay 
the last tokens of respect to one who was 
universally loved. A mysterious providence 
had called from the midst of life and health 
one of the most useful of our native helpers ; 
and, without trying to solve the mystery, we 
simply accepted it as God's sovereign will, 
which can make no mistakes. We took our 
seats with the throng of those who had come 
to show their loving respect for her memory, 
and our tears flowed fast as we looked at the 
vacant seat in front of the organ, where she 
had presided for many years, .leading the 



36 Tse Ah-mun. 

congregation of worshippers in their songs of 
praise. 

' ' One of the school-girls sat in her place, 
and, with broken voices, we tried to follow 
in song ; but we did so miss the beautiful 
voice that used to swell out in such joyful 
notes. All the school-girls, with hair trim- 
med in white — the sign of mourning — quietly 
took their seats, their sobs of grief hushed 
into subdued silence as the service com- 
menced. Although all our hearts were so 
sad, we could not feel it an occasion of un- 
mixed mourning and sorrow, because we 
knew that our beloved sister had passed from 
death unto life, and was now helping to 
swell the chorus of praise with all the re- 
deemed from every land, and nation, and 
people, and tongue. 

' ' ' Unto him who hath loved us, and washed us 
from sin ; 
Unto him be the glory forever. Amen.' " 

4 ' Very fresh in our minds was the beauti- 
ful death -bed scene ; the words of peace and 
comfort she spoke to us all; the assurance 
that Jesus was with her while passing 
through the ' valley of the shadow of death ' ; 



Tse Ah-7nun. 37 

yea, even the smile of triumph that lighted 
her face as she said : ' I am so happy ; I am 
not the least afraid ; all is bright above me, 
and I just keep my eyes fixed on Jesus.' 
Heaven seemed very near to us as we went 
with her to the very banks of the river and 
heard her assurances that the ' everlasting 
arms ' were about her as she was passing 
through the cold waters. We almost seemed 
to catch gleams of the radiance and hear 
strains of joyful music as we saw this dear 
sister pass through the 'golden gates,' and 
our sorrow for our loss was turned into joy 
for her gain . But as we gathered about her 
lifeless form, we were painfully conscious 
that she had gone from our midst, from the 
work, from her little boys, and her aged 
mother and mother-in-law, to all of whom 
she seemed indispensable. 

" 'Jerusalem, my glorious home,' was 
the first hymn given out, which was followed 
by prayer, and the reading of some of those 
glorious words of hope from the Holy Book, 
and the description of the ' heavenly city,' 
where our friend now is. Then Mr. Stuart 
delivered the message, committed to him by 



j8 Tse Ah-mun. 

her dying lips, to all the congregation, assur- 
ing them of her own perfect peace and hap- 
piness in view of death, and the power of 
Jesus to sustain in the dying hour, also 
exhorting them to be faithful to the end, and 
strive to bring others to the knowledge of 
Christ. After this a hymn was sung, ' High 
in yonder realms of light,' followed by a 
most earnest prayer by one of our native 
preachers, commending the bereaved family 
and school and work to the care of him who 
knows how to make the best use of his work- 
ers. Then a little sketch was given of hei 
life and character by an old friend, also a na- 
tive preacher of another church, who had 
known her from the time of. her entering the 
school, twenty-four years before. 

"The closing hymn, ' There'll be no sor- 
row there, ' was sung by the large congrega- 
tion with earnest, almost joyful accents ; 
after which the benediction was pronounced. 

' ' On the wall back of the pulpit loving 
hands had prepared and hung white scrolls 
with suitable inscriptions. These were con- 
nected by an arch above, made by the words, 
' Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord. ' 






Ise Ah-mtin. 39 

In the vacant space below hung a cross and 
anchor fastened together, with a crown 
above, all made of gilt paper, fit emblem of 
the Christian's hope and reward. The pul- 
pit, stand, and table in front were draped in 
white, and the former bordered with beauti- 
ful flowers and ferns sent by a missionary 
friend of the English church. On the coffin 
lay a cross and crown of arbor vitae and tube 
roses, with a boquet of sweet olive and 
other flowers. It was a sad, sad sight when 
the huge black coffin was born out of the 
dear little home where Tse Ah-mun had 
lived for many years. Her two little boys in 
white sackcloth followed it, weeping bitterly, 
to the grave, attended by a few relatives and 
friends. The crowd of school-girls, sobbing 
and wailing, with the more silent grief of 
the two elderly women, and the large group 
of sympathizing friends, both native and 
foreign, presented a scene we cannot soon 
forget. A number of us, some walking, 
some in sedan chairs, went out to the grave, 
from two to three miles distant, where is our 
mission cemetery for natives. Here Tse 
Ah-mun was laid to rest by the side of her 



<j.o Tse Ah-mun. 

young husband, who was taken from her 
eleven years before. Here their bodies rest 
side by side, waiting for the resurrection 
morn. A short service, committing the pre- 
cious dust to the care of him who keeps ac- 
count of where all his children lie, being 
over, we returned to the desolate home, to 
try and comfort the sorrowing ones there.'' 

Now, dear reader, I leave with you this 
simple story of a young Chinese woman. It 
is one of the sweet experiences of my life to 
have known and loved her, to have watched 
her growing into the ' ' perfect woman ' ' in 
Christ Jesus, and then to hold her hand cold 
in death while the ransomed spirit passed in 
triumph on to the realms of eternal day. 
Tears for her loss were mingled with joyfuL 
thanks for one more precious soul rescued 
from the darkness of heathenism and safely 
landed on the "other side. 1 ' Her case ex- 
emplifies what the religion of Christ may do 
for the women of China. Is it not worth all 
our toils, our means, our prayers, to have 
helped produce this result in the case of one ? 
But there are thousands of your sisters in 
China waiting for this same redemption. 



Tse Ah-mun. 4.1 

Can you sit down complacently in your far- 
away homes, made bright and beautiful by 
the religion of Christ, and put not forth a 
helping hand to those who are perishing in 
the darkness, without the knowledge of that 
wondrous love which has exalted you, and 
given you light, and joy, and hope, not only 
in this life, but in that which is to come? If 
this story of Tse Ah-mun shall serve to kin- 
dle in any heart a greater love for her peo- 
ple, and stimulate the women in more favored 
lands to greater zeal in sending the gospel to 
the women of China, then still more may 
it be said of her, "She being dead, yet 
speaketh. ' ' 



w 

T 



